Scottish Executive

Balkan War Veterans

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is funding, or has any plans to fund, any medical research into illnesses suffered by soldiers who served in the Balkans.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is not directly funding any research into illnesses suffered by soldiers who served in the Balkans, nor has it plans to do so.

  However, the Executive in collaboration with UK Departments provides funding for the Medical Research Council, one of the agencies through which the UK Government as a whole undertakes such research.

Birds

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current arrangements for the registration and ringing of birds under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 are to be reviewed.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Action is being taken on a number of fronts. A review of registration charges has already been conducted and the proposals subjected to public consultation. I expect to announce a new charging regime in the near future.

  A review of Schedule 4 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act is also being undertaken, in co-operation with the Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions (DETR) and the Welsh Assembly. In addition, Executive officials are working closely with DETR to ensure that current administrative arrangements for the registration of birds are as streamlined and straightforward as possible.

Central Heating

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what criteria will be used in prioritising those eligible under its central heating programme, (b) how many households it estimates will have central heating installed under the programme before winter 2001 and (c) how the allocation of the funding is to be administered, monitored and audited and how much of the funding will be required for these purposes, expressed as a figure and a percentage of the total overall budget.

Jackie Baillie: The Central Heating Working Group is considering the question of priority need and a report will be published shortly. No estimate of the kind described at (b) has yet been made. Funding will be administered by local authorities, Scottish Homes and a managing agent for each of the three sectors of the stock. They will be responsible for monitoring and auditing.

Central Heating

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the criteria according to which entitlement to assistance under its central heating initiative will be determined.

Jackie Baillie: The criteria will be published shortly.

Community Care

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Department of Social Security on any impact which the current level of Invalid Care Allowance has on its National Strategy for Carers and, in particular, on the living standards of carers.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Strategy for Carers in Scotland  is aimed at addressing the needs of carers for better information and more flexible health and social care support. Financial support to carers through the social security and benefits system remains the responsibility of the UK Government. We welcome the Government’s recently announced packages of financial measures to help carers. The measures include substantial increases in the weekly Carer Premium, an increase in the earnings limit for Invalid Care Allowance (ICA) and extending eligibility for ICA to carers over the age of 65, all of which should help deliver improvements in the living standards of many Scottish carers.

Conservation

Mr John Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources it intends to make available for the management and protection of special areas of conservation.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Following the recent spending review, the Scottish Executive has increased the resources for SNH from £42.3 million for the financial year 2000-01 to £48.5 million for 2001-02, an increase of 14.7%. Ministers expect SNH, in their current budgeting round, to allocate substantially increased resources to the management of protected areas.

  In addition, the Rural Stewardship Scheme will support environmentally friendly farming practices to maintain and enhance important habitats. Preference will be given to applications from farmers and crofters who manage protected nature conservation sites. Provision for agri-environment schemes is £21.5 million for 2001-02.

Criminal Records

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11489 by Mr Jim Wallace on 12 December 2000, whether enhanced criminal record certificates will be available without charge to voluntary organisations working with other vulnerable people such as disabled and elderly people.

Mr Jim Wallace: Enhanced criminal record certificates for those working with vulnerable people aged 18 or over would become available only after regulations are made under section 115(4) of the Police Act 1997. The question of charging volunteers working with vulnerable adults for the enhanced certificates will be considered before any such regulations are drafted.

Dounreay

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12110 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 4 January 2001, what direct powers it has with regard to the Dounreay site restoration plan.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Under sections 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, the Scottish Ministers have powers with regard to existing discharge authorisations and any which might flow from the implementation of the Dounreay Site Restoration Plan.

  These include powers to direct the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to refuse, grant, vary or revoke an application for authorisation; to require certain applications to be determined by the Scottish Ministers and to cause a local inquiry to be held in relation to such an application; after consultation with the Secretary of State to direct SEPA to restrict knowledge of applications on the grounds of national security, and to determine appeals against the decisions of SEPA. The Scottish Ministers’ powers under the land use planning system may also be relevant to certain aspects of decommissioning.

Economy

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates the rate of inflation will be in 2003-04.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive does not forecast inflation. For reference, the latest HM Treasury forecast for inflation, covering the period to 2003, was published in Building Long-Term Prosperity for All: Pre-Budget Report (November 2000).

Education

Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to encourage and support disadvantaged young people entering further and higher education.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Executive is committed to ensuring that young people from all backgrounds have the opportunity to access further and higher education.

  In higher education, our proposals for improving student support will particularly benefit those from the lowest income backgrounds. We have yet to announce details of improvements in the system of support for further education students, but they too will have a similar focus.

  The Scottish Further Education Funding Council provides a funding premium to colleges for students from socially disadvantaged areas. Similarly, the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council has been asked to devise a mechanism to provide additional support to institutions which reflects the extent to which they provide for students from under-represented groups.

Education

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to provide schoolchildren with greater opportunities to participate in creative activities outwith school hours.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive supports and encourages such opportunities.

  Scotland’s National Cultural Strategy, published in August 2000, promotes creativity in the arts and other cultural activity, especially by children and young people. A key priority is to recognise and celebrate schools as centres of creativity.

  The Executive is providing £27 million to 2002 under the Excellence Fund Core Programme for study support, some of which will have a creative element.

  The New Opportunities Fund has made available over £23 million for out of school hours learning activity and over £25 million for out of school care. The learning activity includes creative ventures in the arts to help raise the self-esteem and confidence of pupils. Many out of school clubs provide good opportunities for participation in creative activities.

Employment

Elaine Thomson (Aberdeen North) (Lab): To ask the First Minister what progress the Scottish Executive is making in removing barriers to employment.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is committed to employment opportunity for all. Employment in Scotland is at record levels – the highest level since 1960. The recent Social Justice Annual Report showed key employment indicators improving.

Employment

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take, both specifically following the announcement of 40 job losses at Murray Allan in Innerleithen and more generally, to meet the need for investment in job creation, skills training, transport and telecommunications infrastructure in the Borders.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Assistance will be provided to those affected through dedicated local action teams in accordance with the principles outlined in the Scottish Executive PACE framework. I understand that the company has pledged to co-operate fully with the PACE team. The economic needs of the Borders are being addressed by the New   Ways strategy, which has made a number of significant achievements since its launch in March 1999. The Borders Economic Development Forum is leading the way in turning this good start into more jobs, more growth and more prosperity for the people of the Scottish Borders. Scottish Enterprise Borders has been allocated an additional £2.312 million in 2000-01 for its local action plan, the third year of additional funding, in recognition of the particular needs of the region. I intend to visit the Borders on 14 February to hear at first hand about the issues facing the area and the work under way to build on the successes already achieved.

Environment

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, or any predecessor body, has carried out any environmental studies of the Tain bombing range.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has not undertaken any environmental studies of the Tain bombing range, and is not aware of any studies undertaken by its predecessor bodies.

Environment

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government about the environmental impact of any possible use of depleted uranium shells on the Tain bombing range.

Mr Sam Galbraith: My officials have contacted the Ministry of Defence about this matter. They were advised that depleted uranium-based ammunition has not been fired at the Tain bombing range.

Environment

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive where the responses it has received to its consultation on the proposals for the revision of the EU Directive on public access to environmental information can be viewed by the public and when the findings of this consultation exercise will be published.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The responses received can be viewed at the Scottish Executive Library, Saughton House, Edinburgh and a summary of the views expressed in the consultation has been published on the Internet.

European Year of Languages

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote the European Year of Languages in schools.

Mr Jack McConnell: I will launch the European Year of Languages in Scotland on Monday 22 January at Stirling University. A Scottish committee has been established to promote Scottish involvement in the year through education, business and cultural networks, and a series of events is already planned in school and community facilities throughout Scotland.

Ferry Services

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Gill’s Bay Harbour Empowerment Order will be progressed, and if so when.

Sarah Boyack: Consideration is currently being given to whether a Harbour Empowerment Order is required by the promoters of this project to construct a harbour facility at Gill’s Bay.

Ferry Services

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any economic assessment has been undertaken in respect of the proposed new ferry service between Gill’s Bay and Orkney.

Sarah Boyack: Any economic assessment of the proposed new ferry service between Gill’s Bay and Orkney is primarily a commercial matter for the promoters of the project. The Scottish Executive has no information about whether an economic assessment has been undertaken.

General Practitioners

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for developing new contractual arrangements for GPs, as outlined in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change .

Susan Deacon: Personal Medical Services (PMS) operate under the NHS (Primary Care) Act 1997 and introduce flexibility to primary care services by meeting specific local needs through PMS pilots. Pilot GPs can be salaried either to Primary Care Trusts or within practices or pilots can be practice-based (where the GPs remain independent contractors but have a locally agreed contract). There are currently 15 PMS pilots in Scotland. Regulations state that Scottish Ministers may introduce the permanent PMS option if a review of pilot schemes has taken place and they are satisfied that it would be in the interests of any part of the health service to introduce permanency.

  A review of Scotland’s first round pilots has recently been completed and, from this, I have concluded that the permanent PMS option would be of benefit to the NHS in Scotland. A copy of the review is available in SPICe and SHOW. A copy has also been sent to the Health and Community Care Committee, health boards, Primary Care Trusts and representative bodies.

  I am therefore pleased to announce that a Permanent Personal Medical Services (PMS) option will be available to GPs and to Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) from April 2001. This will mean that, for the first time, PCTs will be able to employ salaried GPs directly on a permanent basis to help recruitment and retention in deprived and remote and rural areas. This permanent PMS option will also enable PCTs and practices to develop local contracts to meet the specific needs of their local communities.

  Regulations bringing this permanent option into force will be circulated to Parliament and to representative bodies for comment in February 2001.

Health

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether league tables are the best way to present information on hospital care.

Susan Deacon: Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change commits the Scottish Executive to introducing a transparent new accountability review process and we will ensure that the Scottish public has the information it needs to form a view on the performance of the NHS. League tables are unlikely to be the best way of presenting this information.

Health

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what feedback it has had to date from interested parties in relation to Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change .

Susan Deacon: My colleagues and I are very pleased with the overwhelmingly positive feedback that has been received following the publication of Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change .

Health

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2595 by Susan Deacon on 30 November 2000, whether it is yet able to give a date for the recommencement of the BCG vaccination programme in schools.

Susan Deacon: No. Discussions are currently taking place at a UK-level to establish the most effective way of ensuring regular supply of BCG vaccine in the UK in the future.

Health

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which (a) NHS Trusts and (b) health boards fall within which parliamentary constituencies.

Susan Deacon: The following table shows the health board area in which each parliamentary constituency is located, and the NHS Trusts which provide services from locations within the health board area:

  


Scottish Parliamentary Constituencies, 
  showing their corresponding Health Board Areas and local 
  NHS Trusts 
  



Parliamentary Constituency 
  

Health Board
Area1


NHS Trusts within Health Board Area2




Aberdeen Central 
  

Grampian 
  

Grampian University; Grampian Primary Care 
  



Aberdeen North 
  

Grampian 
  

Grampian University; Grampian Primary Care 
  



Aberdeen South 
  

Grampian 
  

Grampian University; Grampian Primary Care 
  



Airdrie & Shotts 
  

Lanarkshire 
  

Lanarkshire Acute; Lanarkshire Primary Care 
  



Angus 
  

Tayside 
  

Tayside University; Tayside Primary Care 
  



Argyll & Bute 
  

Argyll & Clyde 
  

Argyll & Clyde Acute; Lomond & Argyll Primary Care;
Renfrewshire & Inverclyde Primary Care 
  



Ayr 
  

Ayrshire & Arran 
  

Ayrshire & Arran Acute; Ayrshire & Arran Primary 
  Care 
  



Banff & Buchan 
  

Grampian 
  

Grampian University; Grampian Primary Care 
  



Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross 
  

Highland 
  

Highland Acute; Highland Primary Care 
  



Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley 
  

Ayrshire & Arran 
  

Ayrshire & Arran Acute; Ayrshire & Arran Primary 
  Care 
  



Central Fife 
  

Fife 
  

Fife Acute; Fife Primary Care 
  



Clydebank & Milngavie 
  

Greater Glasgow 
  

North Glasgow University; South Glasgow University;
Greater Glasgow Primary Care; Yorkhill 
  



Clydesdale 
  

Lanarkshire 
  

Lanarkshire Acute; Lanarkshire Primary Care 
  



Coatbridge & Chryston 
  

Lanarkshire 1


Lanarkshire Acute; Lanarkshire Primary Care 
  



Cumbernauld & Kilsyth 
  

Lanarkshire 
  

Lanarkshire Acute; Lanarkshire Primary Care 
  



Cunninghame North 
  

Ayrshire & Arran 
  

Ayrshire & Arran Acute; Ayrshire & Arran Primary 
  Care 
  



Cunninghame South 
  

Ayrshire & Arran 
  

Ayrshire & Arran Acute; Ayrshire & Arran Primary 
  Care 
  



Dumbarton 
  

Argyll & Clyde 
  

Argyll & Clyde Acute; Lomond & Argyll Primary Care;
Renfrewshire & Inverclyde Primary Care 
  



Dumfries 
  

Dumfries & Galloway 
  

Dumfries & Galloway Acute & Maternity;
Dumfries & Galloway Primary Care 
  



Dundee East 
  

Tayside 
  

Tayside University; Tayside Primary Care 
  



Dundee West 
  

Tayside 
  

Tayside University; Tayside Primary Care 
  



Dunfermline East 
  

Fife 
  

Fife Acute; Fife Primary Care 
  



Dunfermline West 
  

Fife 
  

Fife Acute; Fife Primary Care 
  



East Kilbride 
  

Lanarkshire 
  

Lanarkshire Acute; Lanarkshire Primary Care 
  



East Lothian 
  

Lothian 
  

Lothian University; Lothian Primary Care; West Lothian 
  Healthcare 
  



Eastwood 
  

Greater Glasgow 1


North Glasgow University; South Glasgow University;
Greater Glasgow Primary Care; Yorkhill 
  



Edinburgh Central 
  

Lothian 
  

Lothian University; Lothian Primary Care; West Lothian 
  Healthcare 
  



Edinburgh East & Musselburgh 
  

Lothian 
  

Lothian University; Lothian Primary Care; West Lothian 
  Healthcare 
  



Edinburgh North & Leith 
  

Lothian 
  

Lothian University; Lothian Primary Care; West Lothian 
  Healthcare 
  



Edinburgh Pentlands 
  

Lothian 
  

Lothian University; Lothian Primary Care; West Lothian 
  Healthcare 
  



Edinburgh South 
  

Lothian 
  

Lothian University; Lothian Primary Care; West Lothian 
  Healthcare 
  



Edinburgh West 
  

Lothian 
  

Lothian University; Lothian Primary Care; West Lothian 
  Healthcare 
  



Falkirk East 
  

Forth Valley 
  

Forth Valley Acute; Forth Valley Primary Care 
  



Falkirk West 
  

Forth Valley 
  

Forth Valley Acute; Forth Valley Primary Care 
  



Galloway & Upper Nithsdale 
  

Dumfries & Galloway 
  

Dumfries & Galloway Acute & Maternity;
Dumfries & Galloway Primary Care 
  



Glasgow Anniesland 
  

Greater Glasgow 
  

North Glasgow University; South Glasgow University;
Greater Glasgow Primary Care; Yorkhill 
  



Glasgow Baillieston 
  

Greater Glasgow 
  

North Glasgow University; South Glasgow University;
Greater Glasgow Primary Care; Yorkhill 
  



Glasgow Cathcart 
  

Greater Glasgow 
  

North Glasgow University; South Glasgow University;
Greater Glasgow Primary Care; Yorkhill 
  



Glasgow Govan 
  

Greater Glasgow 
  

North Glasgow University; South Glasgow University;
Greater Glasgow Primary Care; Yorkhill 
  



Glasgow Kelvin 
  

Greater Glasgow 
  

North Glasgow University; South Glasgow University;
Greater Glasgow Primary Care; Yorkhill 
  



Glasgow Maryhill 
  

Greater Glasgow 
  

North Glasgow University; South Glasgow University;
Greater Glasgow Primary Care; Yorkhill 
  



Glasgow Pollock 
  

Greater Glasgow 
  

North Glasgow University; South Glasgow University;
Greater Glasgow Primary Care; Yorkhill 
  



Glasgow Rutherglen 
  

Greater Glasgow 
  

North Glasgow University; South Glasgow University;
Greater Glasgow Primary Care; Yorkhill 
  



Glasgow Shettleston 
  

Greater Glasgow 
  

North Glasgow University; South Glasgow University;
Greater Glasgow Primary Care; Yorkhill 
  



Glasgow Springburn 
  

Greater Glasgow 
  

North Glasgow University; South Glasgow University;
Greater Glasgow Primary Care; Yorkhill 
  



Gordon 
  

Grampian 
  

Grampian University; Grampian Primary Care 
  



Greenock & Inverclyde 
  

Argyll & Clyde 
  

Argyll & Clyde Acute; Lomond & Argyll Primary Care;
Renfrewshire & Inverclyde Primary Care 
  



Hamilton North & Bellshill 
  

Lanarkshire 
  

Lanarkshire Acute; Lanarkshire Primary Care 
  



Hamilton South 
  

Lanarkshire 
  

Lanarkshire Acute; Lanarkshire Primary Care 
  











Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber 
  

Highland 
  

Highland Acute; Highland Primary Care 
  



Kilmarnock & Loudoun 
  

Ayrshire & Arran 
  

Ayrshire & Arran Acute; Ayrshire & Arran Primary 
  Care 
  



Kirkcaldy 
  

Fife 
  

Fife Acute; Fife Primary Care 
  



Linlithgow 
  

Lothian 
  

Lothian University; Lothian Primary Care; West Lothian 
  Healthcare 
  



Livingston 
  

Lothian 
  

Lothian University; Lothian Primary Care; West Lothian 
  Healthcare 
  



Midlothian 
  

Lothian 
  

Lothian University; Lothian Primary Care; West Lothian 
  Healthcare 
  



Moray 
  

Grampian 
  

Grampian University; Grampian Primary Care 
  



Motherwell & Wishaw 
  

Lanarkshire 
  

Lanarkshire Acute; Lanarkshire Primary Care 
  



North East Fife 
  

Fife 
  

Fife Acute; Fife Primary Care 
  



North Tayside 
  

Tayside 
  

Tayside University; Tayside Primary Care 
  



Ochil 
  

Forth Valley 1


Forth Valley Acute; Forth Valley Primary Care 
  



Orkney 
  

Orkney 
  

Orkney Health Board Unit 
  



Paisley North 
  

Argyll & Clyde 
  

Argyll & Clyde Acute; Lomond & Argyll Primary Care;
Renfrewshire & Inverclyde Primary Care 
  



Paisley South 
  

Argyll & Clyde 
  

Argyll & Clyde Acute; Lomond & Argyll Primary Care;
Renfrewshire & Inverclyde Primary Care 
  



Perth 
  

Tayside 
  

Tayside University; Tayside Primary Care 
  



Ross, Skye & Inverness West 
  

Highland 
  

Highland Acute; Highland Primary Care 
  



Roxburgh & Berwickshire 
  

Borders 
  

Borders Acute; Borders Primary Care 
  



Shetland 
  

Shetland 
  

Shetland Hospitals & Community Services Unit 
  



Stirling 
  

Forth Valley 
  

Forth Valley Acute; Forth Valley Primary Care 
  



Strathkelvin & Bearsden 
  

Greater Glasgow 
  

North Glasgow University; South Glasgow University;
Greater Glasgow Primary Care; Yorkhill 
  



Tweeddale, Ettrick & Lauderdale 
  

Borders 1


Borders Acute; Borders Primary Care 
  



West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine 
  

Grampian 
  

Grampian University; Grampian Primary Care 
  



West Renfrewshire 
  

Argyll & Clyde 
  

Argyll & Clyde Acute; Lomond & Argyll Primary Care;
 Renfrewshire & Inverclyde Primary Care 
  



Western Isles 
  

Western Isles 
  

Western Isles Health Board Unit 
  



  Source: ISD Scotland/General Register’s Office (Scotland), 1999 postcode allocations to parliamentary constituencies and health board areas.

  Notes:

  1. The boundaries of four constituencies span more than one health board area. In such cases, in the table above, the health board with the highest number of individual postcodes is shown. Full details are:

  Coatbridge & Chryston spans Lanarkshire and Greater Glasgow Health Boards;

  Eastwood spans Greater Glasgow and Argyll & Clyde Health Boards;

  Ochil spans Forth Valley and Tayside Health Boards;

  Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale spans Borders and Lothian Health Boards.

  2. Although local NHS Trusts are shown it is stressed that patients within each parliamentary constituency will be treated in other Trusts in Scotland, particularly for specialist services which are not available locally.

Higher Education

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) total budget and (b) amount of any budget deficit was for each higher education institution in each year since 1995.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The information requested is not held centrally. The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council is responsible for monitoring the financial health of the higher education institutions it funds in Scotland.

Housing

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in what circumstances it has a continuing responsibility for the standard of houses previously sold by government bodies.

Jackie Baillie: Responsibility for the repair and maintenance of houses sold by government bodies rests with those who bought them.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the event of any large-scale stock transfers, local authority housing rent arrears which exist at the time of the transfer will remain the responsibility of local authorities or transfer to the relevant housing association.

Jackie Baillie: The arrangements for dealing with rent arrears will be a matter for negotiation between the relevant council and acquiring landlord, and will be set out in the contract of sale.

Justice

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as part of the inquiry into the Chokkar case, Sir Anthony Campbell will be interviewing the former Lord Advocate, Lord Hardie, and what the reasons are for the position in this matter.

Colin Boyd: This is a matter for Sir Anthony Campbell and not for the Lord Advocate or the Scottish Executive. Sir Anthony Campbell will conduct his inquiry independently of the Lord Advocate and the Scottish Executive. Lord Hardie has stated that he will co-operate with the inquiries.

Library Facilities

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what was the total (a) net expenditure by public libraries, (b) number of professional staff, non-professional staff and management staff employed in public libraries, (c) number of (i) book and (ii) audio-visual issues, (d) amount of money spent from (i) book and (ii) audio-visual funds and (e) number of branch libraries which were open 45 hours or more per week, in (i) 1995-96 and (ii) 1999-2000, broken down by local authority.

Allan Wilson: Net expenditure on public libraries by local authority area is shown in the table. The other information requested is not held centrally.

  


Libraries - Expenditure 1995-96 & 1999-2000 
  





Final
Outturn
1995-96 
  



Provisional
Outturn
1999-2000 
  



Council 
  

£000 
  

Council 
  

£000 
  



Borders 
  

1,547 
  

Aberdeen City 
  

2,913 
  



*Central 
  

0 
  

Aberdeenshire 
  

2,987 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

1,817 
  

Angus 
  

1,622 
  



*Fife 
  

0 
  

Argyll and Bute 
  

1,156 
  



*Grampian 
  

0 
  

Clackmannanshire 
  

914 
  



Highland 
  

3,006 
  

Dumfries and Galloway 
  

2,146 
  



*Lothian 
  

0 
  

Dundee 
  

3,227 
  



*Strathclyde 
  

0 
  

East Ayrshire 
  

1,899 
  



*Tayside 
  

0 
  

East Dunbartonshire 
  

2,152 
  



Orkney 
  

430 
  

East Lothian 
  

1,155 
  



Shetland 
  

678 
  

East Renfrewshire 
  

1,631 
  



Western Isles 
  

485 
  

Edinburgh City 
  

8,189 
  



*Berwickshire 
  

0 
  

Eilean Siar 
  

741 
  



*Ettrick & Lauderdale 
  

0 
  

Falkirk 
  

2,624 
  



*Roxburgh 
  

0 
  

Fife 
  

5,318 
  



*Tweeddale 
  

0 
  

Glasgow City 
  

12,742 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

738 
  

Highland 
  

3,166 
  



Falkirk 
  

2,310 
  

Inverclyde 
  

1,095 
  



Stirling 
  

1,754 
  

Midlothian 
  

1,054 
  



Annandale & Eskdale 
  

0 
  

Moray 
  

1,449 
  



*Nithsdale 
  

0 
  

North Ayrshire 
  

1,876 
  



*Stewartry 
  

0 
  

North Lanarkshire 
  

4,750 
  



*Wigtown 
  

0 
  

Orkney 
  

489 
  



Dunfermline 
  

1,701 
  

Perth and Kinross 
  

2,609 
  



Kirkcaldy 
  

2,322 
  

Renfrewshire 
  

3,503 
  



North East Fife 
  

1,042 
  

Scottish Borders 
  

1,277 
  



Aberdeen 
  

3,799 
  

Shetland 
  

762 
  



Banff & Buchan 
  

1,106 
  

South Ayrshire 
  

1,712 
  



Gordon 
  

878 
  

South Lanarkshire 
  

4,163 
  



Kincardine & Deeside 
  

656 
  

Stirling 
  

1,675 
  



Moray 
  

1,336 
  

West Dunbartonshire 
  

1,762 
  



*Badenoch & Strathspey 
  

0 
  

West Lothian 
  

1,979 
  



Caithness 
  

28 
  

SCOTLAND 
  

84,737 
  



*Inverness 
  

0 
  



*Lochaber 
  

0 
  



*Nairn 
  

0 
  



*Ross & Cromarty 
  

0 
  



*Skye & Lochalsh 
  

0 
  



*Sutherland 
  

0 
  



Edinburgh 
  

7,324 
  



East Lothian 
  

1,188 
  



Midlothian 
  

1,150 
  



West Lothian 
  

2,226 
  



Argyll & Bute 
  

846 
  



Bearsden & Milngavie 
  

708 
  



Clydebank 
  

1,174 
  



Clydesdale 
  

776 
  



Cumbernauld 
  

1,139 
  



Cumnock & Doon Valley 
  

650 
  



Cunninghame 
  

1,967 
  



Dumbarton 
  

1,412 
  



East Kilbride 
  

1,681 
  



Eastwood 
  

1,149 
  



Glasgow 
  

13,173 
  



Hamilton 
  

1,547 
  



Inverclyde 
  

1,109 
  



Kilmarnock & Loudoun 
  

933 
  



Kyle & Carrick 
  

1,539 
  



Monklands 
  

1,935 
  



Motherwell 
  

2,348 
  



Renfrew 
  

4,402 
  



Strathkelvin 
  

1,292 
  



Angus 
  

1,407 
  



Dundee 
  

3,330 
  



Perth & Kinross 
  

2,443 
  



SCOTLAND 
  

84,481 
  



  *Not Library authorities; prior to local government reorganisation library authorities were district and islands councils except in Dumfries and Galloway and Highland Regions.

  Figures are total net expenditure excluding loan & leasing charges.

Licensing

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to review Scotland’s licensing laws.

Mr Jim Wallace: In his statement on 7 December, the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care announced plans for a comprehensive review of Scotland’s licensing laws ( Official Report, 7 December 2000; Volume 9, c 789).

Mental Health

Mr John McAllion (Dundee East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to receive the report of the Millan Committee’s review of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 and what action it proposes.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive has today received the Millan Committee’s report of its review of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984. Copies of the report, entitled New Directions , have been placed in the Parliamentary Reference Centre.

  The Executive warmly welcomes this report and is grateful to Mr Millan and his committee for undertaking such a comprehensive and thorough review, which addresses the shift in emphasis in mental health care and treatment in recent years, and the greater recognition of the rights of patients and their families. The report also takes account of the MacLean Committee’s recommendations in relation to offenders with mental disorder.

  The Executive will now be considering the report’s recommendations, consulting as appropriate on key issues. A reference group of relevant interests is being set up to assist this process. The aim is to publish a policy statement in the summer, setting out, as promised in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, proposals for a modern legislative framework to meet the needs of people with a mental illness who require care and support, both in hospital and the community.

Mink

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether additional measures are required in order to eradicate the feral mink population; if so, in which parts of Scotland and when such steps will be taken.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Feral mink are widely distributed over most of mainland Scotland and many offshore islands. Their impact on ground-nesting birds is well documented and it is widely believed that mink are also associated with the decline of the water vole.

  The Scottish Executive is supporting Scottish Natural Heritage’s application for EU LIFE-Nature funding to assist with the first phase of a mink eradication programme for the Western Isles.

  SNH continues to maintain an overview on the subject of mink predation and control as it relates to the natural heritage. In view of the extensive range which the species now occupies in Britain, total eradication of the species is not possible. Therefore, resources must be carefully targeted at key sites where long-term control is considered to be a practicable option.

Modernising Government

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was made available to its Government Modernisation Fund in 2000-01 and how much has been allocated from it to date.

Angus MacKay: The £26 million Modernising Government Fund covers a two-year period and is part of the wider drive to modernise government.

  In December the Minister for Finance and Local Government announced the allocation of all of the funding to support 36 projects across the public sector in Scotland. £13 million has been allocated for 2000-01 and £13 million for 2001-02.

Museums

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the appeal by the Convenor of Culture and Leisure at Glasgow City Council for an additional £2 million aid for Glasgow’s museums.

Mr Sam Galbraith: No such appeal has been received. I met representatives of the council on 19 January as the first step of our commitment in the National Cultural Strategy to work with the council to examine the circumstances of their museum service.

New Deal

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many 18- to 24-year-olds left the New Deal between 1 January and 31 December 1999, and of those (i) how many have then gone into sustained, unsubsidised employment and (ii) how many have an unknown destination, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government, which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland, it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing organisations.

  21,325 18- to 24-year-olds left the New Deal between 1 January and 31 December 1999. Detailed information, broken down by parliamentary constituency, of those leaving New Deal between 1 January and 31 December 1999 who have (i) gone into sustained unsubsidised employment and (ii) have gone into unknown destinations can be found in tables held by the Parliament Reference Centre (Bib. no. 10610).

New Deal

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether statistics collected on the participation in and the outcomes from the New Deal are broken down by (a) ethnic origin and (b) gender.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government, which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland, it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing organisations.

  Detailed statistics on the participation in, and the outcomes from, the New Deal are published by ethnic origin and gender in the DfEE monthly news release figures at a GB level.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to establish any new non-departmental public bodies in 2001 and, if so, to specify these.

Angus MacKay: As part of our drive to modernise government structures, the Executive is carrying out a radical review of all Scottish Public Bodies. We will consider what role public bodies should play in the devolved Scotland and how they should operate and be accountable to ministers and Parliament. We will be considering the scope for reduction in the number of public bodies through abolition and merger, and the circumstances in which new ones should be created.

  I shall make a statement on the way ahead following the review around the end of May.

Nurses

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people enrolled on nurse training courses in the current academic year and how this figure compares with the previous academic year.

Susan Deacon: During the financial year 1999-2000 a total of 2,939 students commenced pre-registration courses to become a nurse or midwife, which is an increase of 93 over the previous year. Figures for 2000-01 are not yet available but are likely to show a further increase.

Nurses

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average time taken by each health board to fill nursing vacancies was in each year from 1990 to the current year.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is not available centrally, but can be obtained from individual health boards and Trusts. The names and addresses of all health boards and Trusts are available on the Scottish Health on the Web website at www.show.scot.nhs.uk.

Parliamentary Questions

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8570 by Donald Dewar on 28 September 2000, what the cost of answering the question as asked would have been.

Henry McLeish: To answer the question in its original form, that is, to identify the international organisations each Minister has been in touch with since 1 July 1999, would have required a very extensive trawl of Scottish Executive Departments. It is not possible to say precisely what the cost might have been, but we estimate it would have been well in excess of £550. Given this, the earlier answer invited a more specific question.

Parliamentary Questions

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why question S1W-10426 lodged on 18 October 2000 has not been answered.

Henry McLeish: Question S1W-10426 was answered today.

Pig Industry

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all of Scotland’s share of the funding for the British pig industry announced on 30 March 2000 remains committed to the Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme, given delays in the scheme’s opening.

Ross Finnie: The £26 million funding announced for the pig industry on 30 March was for the UK and no part of the funding was specifically allocated for Scotland. Approval for the Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme (PIRS) from the EC has taken nearly nine months and final approval was only received in December. The delay in securing EC approval for the scheme will mean that no money will be spent this financial year.

  Some of the money allocated for the scheme has been used to pay for the Pig Welfare (Disposal) Scheme which has provided financial compensation to pig producers in East Anglia who were affected by movement restriction orders as a result of the outbreak of Classical Swine Fever.

  In the late summer MAFF announced a further £20 million for PIRS for each of the financial years 2001-02 and 2002-03. The Outgoers scheme is now open for applications and it is expected that the successful applicants will receive their payments during the financial year 2001-02 on exactly the same basis as originally planned. No Scottish farmer wishing to participate in the Outgoers scheme will be disadvantaged due to the delay in the start of the scheme.

  There will be no change to the level of funding for producers in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK for those who qualify for the Ongoers scheme. Decisions on the overall future funding for the Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme will be made once the scale of payments for the Outgoers scheme are known and the demand for assistance under the Ongoers scheme has been assessed.

Public Transport

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10405 by Sarah Boyack on 29 November 2000, (a) whether any funding will be available to the Borders Rail project from the Public Transport Fund for walking and cycling projects as an integral part of the rail development, (b) whether there are budget limits to such local projects and (c) what the total budget is available for the year 2001-02 for such projects.

Sarah Boyack: The Public Transport Fund (PTF) is supporting cycling and walking measures both as part of wider public transport improvements but also as stand-alone projects. The award to Scottish Borders Council for the development of the railway to the Central Borders is to assist the council take the project forward through the parliamentary process. As part of any future bid by the council to the PTF, walking and cycling measures could be included as part of any wider application.

  In the first three rounds of the PTF, only projects which cost over £200,000 have been eligible for assistance under the PTF. In September 2000 I announced that the fund would be increased to £150 million between 2001-04 and I indicated that I propose to give more prominence to cycling and walking projects. Details will be issued to local authorities shortly about the arrangements for seeking bids to the next round of the fund. The budget for the PTF in 2001-02 is £40 million.

Public Transport

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10406 by Sarah Boyack on 29 November 2000, (a) what funding sources are available for cycle projects, (b) how much funding is available from each of these sources, (c) which bodies and individuals have made funding applications to these sources, (d) which bodies and individuals were successful and (e) how much each body or individual received, in this financial year.

Sarah Boyack: Responsibility for the provision of cycling infrastructure rests with the local authorities. They receive a block allocation for expenditure on a number of services including transport. It is for the local authorities to allocate resources in accordance with locally determined priorities. Information about the level of spending by local authorities on cycling projects is not held centrally.

  However, cycling projects are eligible for support from the Public Transport Fund which was announced in 1998 in the Scottish Transport White Paper to assist local authorities to provide key value for money developments to their public transport network. It is open to all of Scotland’s local authorities and Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority to bid for support from the fund.

  So far, three Public Transport Fund Competitions have taken place with 53 projects receiving funding totalling over £95 million. During this time, eight bids for projects for improved cycling facilities have been received; all have been successful and received support from the fund. The projects and allocation is listed in the table.

  In May 2000, I announced that local authorities had been allocated additional capital consents, totalling £5.2 million, to take forward work on implementing safer routes to school schemes. It is for individual authorities to take decisions on the specific measures to be implemented in their areas having regard to local needs and priorities. Measures could, however, include capital expenditure on cycle projects related to safer routes to school schemes.

  In addition, there are occasionally funding opportunities from other sources such as the Millennium Commission which provided resources for the development of the National Cycle Network. However, these are not administered by the Scottish Executive

  


Authority 
  

Project 
  

Total Award
(£ million) 
  

Allocation
2000-01
(£ million) 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

Dumfries Transport Initiative1


£1.063 
  

£0.3 
  



Midlothian 
  

Sheriffhall Cycle Bridge 
  

£0.802 
  

£0.802 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

Cycling and Walking Facilities 
  

£0.450 
  

- 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

Stranraer Integrated Transport Package1


£0.943 
  

- 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

Cycling and Walking in Kilmarnock 
  

£0.670 
  

- 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

Cycleways in Helensburgh and Lomond 
  

£1.900 
  

- 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

Cycle Commuter Routes 
  

£0.200 
  

- 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

Integrated Transport Improvements1


£0.268 
  

- 
  



  Notes:

  1. Project also includes other public transport measures.

Road Safety

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the introduction of speed wardens to enforce speed restrictions in residential areas.

Sarah Boyack: Policy and legislation on speed limits, including speeding offences and penalties, is reserved. The introduction of speed wardens to enforce speed restrictions in residential areas would require primary legislation to decriminalise speeding offences. That is a matter for the consideration of the UK Government.

Roads

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to announce the awards for the four motorway and trunk road maintenance contracts.

Sarah Boyack: I made an announcement on 23 January regarding the outcome of the four tender competitions in response to question S1W-12726 from Des McNulty.

Schools

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in processing North Lanarkshire Council’s bid for Public/Private Partnership funding to rebuild Airdrie Academy.

Mr Jack McConnell: Authorities were invited last September to submit bids for a share of resources totalling £5 million which we are making available to support the costs involved in the early stages of the development of potential school Public/Private Partnership projects. North Lanarkshire Council submitted a bid under these arrangements and I hope to announce decisions on all of the bids in the near future.

Schools

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what number and value of funding bids was made to the Scottish Office and to it in each year since 1995-96 for the repair of school buildings in (i) Scotland and (ii) each education authority area.

Mr Jack McConnell: Repairs to school buildings may be funded by local authorities from either their revenue or capital expenditure resources. The arrangements for the annual local government finance settlement for revenue expenditure and the annual single allocations of consent to local authorities to incur capital expenditure do not require authorities to make bids for specific areas of expenditure such as expenditure on repairs to school buildings.

Scottish Ambulance Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are issued by the Scottish Ambulance Service on the criteria to be applied in deciding which categories of patients should be conveyed to accident and emergency departments other than the one which is geographically closest.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Ambulance Service does not issue such guidelines. However, it agrees protocols with health boards and NHS Trusts on the most appropriate transfer of patients into the hospital network.

Scottish Executive Publications

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7260 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 October 2000, how much each Scottish Executive publication produced from August 2000 to date cost to produce.

Mr Angus MacKay: These are the details of Scottish Executive publications produced in the period from August 2000 to date (18 January 2001).

  


Action Group for Languages Report 
  

£10,314.65 
  



Action Group for Language – recommendations 
  

£7,354.10 
  



Action Group for Language – Rationale 
  

£7,183.20 
  



Action Group for Language – folder 
  

£4,618.30 
  



Active Communities Response Document 
  

£2,274.20 
  



Affordable Water and Sewage charges 
  

£1,299.05 
  



Agricultural & Biological Research 
  Group News 
  

£2,122.20 
  



A power of Community (Local Government) 
  

£12,255.00 
  



Assured Tenancies in Scotland x 5000 
  

£1,101.00 
  



Childrens Hearing Factsheet+Employers Leaflet 
  

£2,179.50 
  



Choosing a School - Guide for Parents 
  

£14,329.25 
  



Climate Change Programme Summary 
  

£4,966.49 
  



CMO Annual Report – Health in Scotland 
  1999 
  

£11,471.00 
  



Community Care in Figures 
  

£7,924.70 
  



Dedicated Gaelic Television Channel 
  

£1,577.60 
  



Domestic Abuse leaflets 
  

£2,832.93 
  



Domestic Abuse – final report 
  

£5,674.00 
  



Equality Strategy 
  

£7,563.20 
  



Fair Shares for All – Final Report 
  

£7,206.20 
  



Fair Shares for All User’s Guide 
  

£3,977.39 
  



Family Law White Paper 
  

£6,055.10 
  



Fire Community Safety Strategy summary 
  

£1,909.60 
  



Fire Community Safety Strategy – Brochure 
  

£3,671.08 
  



Flu Campaign leaflets 
  

£33,197.29 
  



Flu Campaign – Promotional Implementation 
  Guides (PIGS) 
  

£1,463.24 
  



Flu letters x 4 sorts 
  

£158.21 
  



Framework for Economical Development 
  

£1,008.55 
  



Framework for Economic Development Document 
  and Summary 
  

£17,651.88 
  



Further Education in Scotland 1999 
  

£18,636.25 
  



Gaelic Association Taskforce Report 
  

£1,583.00 
  



Helping Homeless People 
  

£2,350.60 
  



Homelessness leaflet 
  

£878.45 
  



Houses of Multiple Occupation 
  

£9,476.05 
  



Housing Code of Practice (2 publications) 
  

£6,504.35 
  



Hutters in Scotland consultation document 
  

£1,183.00 
  



Independent Advocacy 
  

£6141.34 
  



Knowledge Network – promotional leaflet 
  

£1,063.95 
  



Lead in Water 
  

£10,247.93 
  



Local Authorities Housing Transfers – Procedural 
  

£12,786.66 
  



Maclean Committee Executive Summary 
  

£891.00 
  



Maths 2000 folder 
  

£814.00 
  



McFadden Commission Consultation Document 
  

£1,387.00 
  



McFadden Commission Consultation Leaflet 
  

£5,581.75 
  



Neighbourhood Watch booklets 
  

£3,755.00 
  



NHS leaflet for NHS Confederation – Glasgow 
  

£781.00 
  



Owner Occupied Sheltered Housing 
  

£271.00 
  



Parental Responsibilities and Parental 
  Rights 
  

£1,437.00 
  



Public Sector Ombudsman in Scotland 
  

£4,204.00 
  



Putting You In the Picture 
  

£3,880.00 
  



Regulating the Independent Healthcare Sector 
  

£3,417.15 
  



Rural Scotland a New Approach 
  

£9,936.00 
  



Scottish Agriculture Business Development 
  Scheme 
  

£1,199.70 
  



Scottish Economic Report July 2000 
  

£9,343.85 
  



Scottish Household Survey Annual Report 
  

£26,888.65 
  



Scottish Household Survey Volume 2 
  

£6,722.93 
  



Scottish Partnership on Domestic Abuse 
  

£11,722.00 
  



Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 
  

£4,224.10 
  



Sex Offenders Act 1997 revised guidance 
  

£7,820.25 
  



Social Justice Action Note 2 
  

£1,204.10 
  



Social Justice Annual Report and Technical 
  Document 
  

£33,277.75 
  



Social Justice Annual Report – summary 
  

£11,053.45 
  



Spending Plans for Scotland 2000-2003/4 
  

£11,627.30 
  



Sure Start Scotland leaflet 
  

£962.30 
  



SQA Exam Report 
  

£12,300.25 
  



SQA Report Executive Summary 
  

£1,857.70 
  



Consultation Paper – Protecting Children 
  – Securing the Future 
  

£5,293.00 
  



What to do After a Death 
  

£6,569.00 
  



Which Way Now 2001 
  

£43,949.10 
  



Working Together for Joint Future (Community 
  Care) 
  

£7,562.50

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that the Scottish Qualifications Authority has sufficient numbers of adequately qualified markers available to deal with the examination scripts which will be submitted for the 2001 diet of examinations.

Mr Jack McConnell: My answer to question S1W-12484 indicated that, following a review of remuneration, the SQA intends to increase fees for markers and other appointees in 2001 by 50%. The Executive will fund these increases in full, at a cost of approximately £3 million. SQA’s progress in recruiting markers will be monitored closely by my officials and by the Ministerial Review Group.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff working days have been lost at the Scottish Qualifications Authority through stress-related illnesses in the past year.

Mr Jack McConnell: This is an operational issue for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. I have asked the Chair to reply to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that the Scottish Qualifications Authority staff who worked through the recent problems at that organisation will not lose any time off in lieu leave that they have built up during that period.

Mr Jack McConnell: This is an operational issue for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. I have asked the Chair to reply to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has undertaken with trade unions representing the staff at the Scottish Qualifications Authority over working conditions at that institution.

Mr Jack McConnell: This is an operational issue for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. I have asked the Chair to reply to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Seal Population

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methods of controlling the seal population provided for by the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 are sufficient.

Rhona Brankin: The Conservation of Seals Act 1970 provides a flexible framework for control of the seal population.

Seal Population

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the use of non-lethal methods of control of seal populations; if so, what conclusions have been reached and, if not, whether it will now consider the issue.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive has considered the use of non-lethal methods of seal population control. In 1998 the Executive asked the Special Committee on Seals (SCOS) of the Natural Environment Research Council to assess whether a recently developed Canadian method of contraceptive sterilisation of seals might be a feasible way to stabilise or reduce Scottish grey seal numbers.

  On the basis of SCOS’ advice it was concluded that there would be considerable practical and financial problems involved in attempting a successful sterilisation programme using this method in Scotland. In Scotland seal populations are more scattered and more wary of humans than in Canada and hence cannot easily be approached for effective sterilisation using this method. In order to stabilise the grey seal population at its 1997 level of 95,000 it was estimated that a total of 14,000 adult females would need to be sterilised in the first year with gradually reducing annual numbers thereafter reaching 3,000 after some seven years. In order to reduce the seal population below the 1997 level, much greater numbers of seals would need to be sterilised.

  There are no current plans to introduce contraceptive measures to control the Scottish seal population but the Executive will continue to assess the potential of any future non-lethal control measures.

Seal Population

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Deputy Minister for Rural Development on 23 November 2000 regarding the latest scientific advice from the special committee on seal population sizes ( Official Report , col. 335), whether this information has been received; if so, when and whether it will place the information in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Rhona Brankin: I understand that a copy of the latest advice from the Special Committee on Seals has now been received and I will be considering its contents very carefully. I will ensure that a copy of this advice is placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Social Work

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether details of the financial allocations made to local authorities for criminal justice social work and the service out-turns or workloads in respect of this function are made publicly available.

Mr Jim Wallace: The practice to date has been for information on financial allocations for individual local authorities for criminal justice social work to be made available only to the individual local authority. However, I am arranging for current and future financial information to be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

  Information on historical workloads for the principal elements of criminal justice social work was provided in the form of a Statistical Bulletin published on 23 November 2000.

Special Educational Needs

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale is for consultation with voluntary organisations with regard to the Record of Needs process.

Nicol Stephen: A range of preliminary meetings is being undertaken by Enable, which has been commissioned by the Executive to assist with the review of the Record of Needs process. Voluntary organisations will be included in these initial discussions. Thereafter, full consultation on proposals for change will be undertaken during spring 2001. Voluntary organisations across the SEN spectrum will be included in the consultation exercise.

Special Educational Needs

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which voluntary organisations will be consulted with regards to the Record of Needs process.

Nicol Stephen: Enable is consulting with a number of voluntary organisations as part of their work on preparation of a draft consultation paper. These voluntary organisations are set out below:

  Barnardos

  Capability Scotland

  Children in the Highlands Information Point

  Children in Scotland

  Contact a Family

  Enquire

  Equity Group

  FAIR

  Govan Law Centre

  Independent Special Education Advice (Scotland)

  Linking Education and Disability (LEAD)

  Minority Ethnic Learning Disabilities Initiative

  National Autistic Society

  National Deaf Children’s Society

  Profound and Multiple Impairment Service

  Royal National Institute for the Deaf

  Royal National Institute for the Blind

  San Jai Project

  Save the Children Fund – Scotland

  Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights

  Scottish Child Law Centre

  Scottish Down’s Syndrome Association

  Scottish Dyslexia Association

  Scottish Network Information Point

  Scottish Society for Autism

  Scottish Spina Bifida Association

  Sense Scotland

  Skill Scotland

  A full consultation exercise, including voluntary organisations across the SEN spectrum, will take place on the consultation paper in spring 2001.

Textile Industry

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the First Minister how much of the £10 million aid package for the textile industry announced by the Minister for Small Business and E-Commerce at the Department of Trade and Industry on 6 June 2000 has been allocated in Scotland.

Henry McLeish: The DTI package has not been allocated according to geographical area.

Training

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether responsibility for national training organisations in Scotland, in particular their funding, rests with it or Her Majesty’s Government.

Ms Wendy Alexander: National Training Organisations (NTOs) are employer-led sectoral bodies which operate across the UK as the bridge between employers and those involved in the policy and provision of education, training and developing employability. At government level, policy responsibility is shared between the devolved administrations and the UK Government, reflecting the devolved responsibilities for education and training. NTOs attract funding from employers, government departments and other public sector and commercial sources.

War Criminals

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many former members of the Ukrainian 14th SS Galizen Division and other former SS troops reside in Scotland; how many of these are deemed to be war criminals, and what action it intends to take in this matter.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive does not hold this information on residents in Scotland. The Executive does, however, take the view that war crimes are among the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. We believe that those responsible for committing atrocities during the Second World War and subsequently should be brought to justice whenever possible. That can only be done within the rule of law and on the evidence available.

  Any specific allegation of war crimes against a former SS member resident in Scotland will be investigated by the police. If sufficient evidence became available it would be for the Lord Advocate to decide whether to prosecute. Any request by a foreign state for the extradition of an alleged war criminal resident in Scotland would be dealt with by Scottish Ministers under extradition legislation.

Young People

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to tackle problems associated with mental health and social exclusion among young people.

Malcolm Chisholm: The social inclusion agenda of the Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland has been carried forward and advanced in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change which sets out a range of measures to reduce stigma where it arises through a national campaign and enhanced local care agency activity.

  Individual needs should never be a reason to exclude anyone from care or society. That is the premise on which Our National Health, the Framework and our overall approach is based.

  Copies of the Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland (Bib. no. 7392) and Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change (Bib. no. 10298) are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer which of the works package contracts let in relation to the Holyrood Project have been completed; whether each ongoing contract is proceeding according to the agreed timescale, and what the original and revised date of completion is in each case where any contract has been subject to delay.

Sir David Steel: The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has provided a list of   works package contracts, which have been completed to date, as follows:

  1. Retention West Basement

  2. Excavation West

  3. Well Probing

  4. Well Drilling

  5. Piling West Basement

  6. Substructure West Basement

  Ongoing contracts are proceeding according to timescales set out in the Construction Manager’s strategic construction programme which continues to have a target completion date of 31 December 2002.

Holyrood Project

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer what capital contracts are currently out to tender, in relation to the Holyrood Project, indicating in each case the timescale for return of tenders, award of contracts, commencement on site and completion of works.

Sir David Steel: The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has provided a list of   contracts which are currently out to tender, including those where tenders have been returned but the contract award has still to be made, as follows:

  1. MSP Building Cladding.

  2. Queensberry House New Windows/Doors.

  3. MSP Building Roofing.

  4. Queensberry House External Render.

  5. MSP Building Carpentry & Joinery.

  6. Mechanical & Plumbing, West.

  7. Electrical West.

  8. Broadcasting & Allied Systems.

  Under Construction Management arrangements, individual works package contracts proceed according to timescales set out in the strategic construction programme. The programme is updated and rescheduled on an ongoing basis to obtain best value for money and to achieve the target completion date which remains as 31 December 2002.

Holyrood Project

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer what works packages have still to go out to tender in relation to the Holyrood Project and what the indicative timescale is in each case for issuing and return of tenders, award of contract and commencement and completion of works.

Sir David Steel: The information is as follows:

  1. Assembly Building Brick/Blockwork.

  2. General Builderswork.

  3. Assembly Building Foyer Frame & Glazing.

  4. Assembly Building Specialist Glazing.

  5. Assembly Building Cladding.

  6. Assembly Building/Canongate Roofing.

  7. Assembly Building Timber Trusses.

  8. Canongate Constituency Wall.

  9. Fire Stopping (Whole Site).

  10. Assembly Building/Canongate Fire Protection Steelwork.

  11. Queensberry House Ceilings/Partitions/Plasterboard.

  12. MSP Building Ceilings/Partitions.

  13. Queensberry House Suspended Ceilings.

  14. Assembly Building Ceilings/Partitions.

  15. Queensberry House Raised Floors.

  16. Assembly Building Raised Floors.

  17. MSP Building Stone Floors/Screeds.

  18. Queensberry House Stone Floors/Screeds.

  19. Assembly Building Stone Floors/Screeds.

  20. MSP Building Floor Covering.

  21. Queensberry House Timber/Vinyl Flooring.

  22. Assembly Building Timber Flooring.

  23. Assembly Building Carpet & Vinyl Flooring.

  24. Queensberry House Carpentry & Joinery.

  25. Assembly Building Carpentry & Joinery.

  26. Queensberry House Metal Blast Windows/Doors.

  27. Assembly Building Metal Doors/Shutters.

  28. MSP Building Architectural Metalwork.

  29. Queensberry House Architectural Metalwork.

  30. Assembly Building Architectural Metalwork.

  31. MSP Building Decoration.

  32. Queensberry House Decoration.

  33. Assembly Building Decoration.

  34. MSP Building Toilet/Fitness/Changing Fit Out.

  35. Queensberry House Toilet Fit Out.

  36. Assembly Building Toilet Fit Out.

  37. Furniture/Fittings/Equipment.

  38. Filing Systems.

  39. Catering Equipment (Whole Site).

  40. Bar & Restaurant Fit Out (Whole Site).

  41. Audio Visual Equipment (Whole Site).

  42. Signage.

  43. Cleaning Cradles.

  44. Mechanical & Plumbing East.

  45. Fire Alarm & Protection (Whole Site).

  46. Building Maintenance System (Whole Site).

  47. Commissioning (Whole Site).

  48. Electrical East.

  49. Structured Cabling (Whole Site).

  50. Security (Whole Site).

  51. Electricity Incoming (Whole Site).

  52. Water Incoming (Whole Site).

  53. Gas Supply (Whole Site)

  54. IT/Communications (Whole Site).

  55. Sewer Connections.

  56. Cable/Satellite.

  57. Hard Landscaping.

  58. Soft Landscaping.

  I am informed by the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that, while a broad time frame was included as part of the Stage D Scheme Design report, it would be misleading to give definitive programme dates relating to the award, site start and completion of the above packages. These are liable to change in line with arrangements made by the Construction Manager, who is employed to manage a dynamic programme, to the overall benefit of the project. The programmed building completion date remains as 31 December 2002.

Holyrood Project

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the value of any works package contracts let to date in relation to the Holyrood Project could be identified without prejudice to later, similar tendering exercises and, if so, whether the details of any such contracts can now be made available.

Sir David Steel: The Holyrood Progress Group has previously indicated that it will be happy to release values of contracts awarded where they do not prejudice the future commercial interests of the Parliament or the individual contractors concerned. The Project Team is now in the process of establishing procedures to set this exercise in motion and a report will be made to MSPs as soon as the information becomes available.

Holyrood Project

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer whether any contracts have been let to date in relation to the Holyrood Project with less detailed construction information than is desirable, as outlined in paragraph 1.39 of the Auditor General’s report The new Scottish Parliament building .

Sir David Steel: No.   Contracts are only let when sufficient information is available to allow construction to take place.

Holyrood Project

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer whether all works packages issued to date, and to be issued, in relation to the Holyrood project contain or will contain penalty clauses to protect the client’s interest against late completion or other contingencies and whether the value of penalty clauses is calculated in relation to a standard formula or to contract-specific assessments of the possible costs to the client in each case of failure by contractors to achieve completion dates.

Sir David Steel: The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has informed me that works package contracts stipulate that trade contractors will be liable for all damage, expense, loss or cost suffered or incurred by the client due to default by the trade contractor, including failure to achieve completion dates. It is not considered appropriate to include specific penalty clauses in works contracts for the new Parliament building since their inclusion can lead to increased tender prices.

Parliamentary Publications

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland Fife) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer what the total cost was of publishing, promoting and distributing the Annual Report of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body 2000 and accompanying statistical report and how many copies of each were printed.

Sir David Steel: The total cost of designing, printing and publishing the Annual Report of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body and Scottish Parliament Statistics was £41,454. 2,500 copies of each publication were printed.

  We intend to review carefully future publications of the Annual Report and Statistics Report in view of the costs identified above.